Testing Electric Hot Water Heater

[lundwc16]

Recently in the middle of a five or six day trip, the electric hot water heater stopped making hot water. Propane still worked. After draining at home I removed the element, & got out the multi meter. By touching the two terminals of the removed element with the meter, & doing a continuity test, it shows continuity, should this tell me that the element is good? Also it should be noted that with the Monty plugged into shore power, the inside water heater switch off, & the small switch located on the water heater itself on, I get not a shock, buy a tingle touching the wires.
John

[Rondo]

John-- I had a problem this last winter down in AZ with just the same problem. We replaced the element and checked the old one but it was still good. We cold not figure out what the problem was. We ran it on propane the rest of the time till we got back home. Took it into the dealer and the tech worked his way back from the water heater to the inside switch. He said he normally checks the inside switch first but this time thought I was something at the water heater itself. NOPE! Nothing found at the water heater and he went all the way to the inside switch and sure enough there it was. It had one of the wires to the switch that was not tightened down and the wire would make contact intermittently but not all the time. You might check both switches t see if you have a loose wire or ground on them. Be sure to either flip the breaker or unplug the unit and disconnect the battery/s before doing it or you may get more than just a tingle.

[lundwc16]

Did a little circuit testing since my last post. I pulled the wires off the outside switch, & turned the inside switch to on, had power at the outside wires. I cleaned up the ends, & reconnected the wires to the outside switch, turned on outside, & inside, & I had power to the heating element. A few short minutes later, no longer power to the element, & the outside switch was warm. Pulled the wires off, & still had power to the outside switch wires. I'm now thinking the small outside switch has gone bad. Now to try & find one.
John

[BB_TX]

Others have reported that small switch failing. The thermostat/hi limit cutout switch is another item that fails. And at least one person found he had power all the way thru, but there was a loose neutral wire in the junction box on the water heater.

[h2ojocky]

My outside switch failed. I found a replacement at a local hardware store.

[rohrmann]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/3215220...&ul_noapp=true

[lundwc16]

Looks like it was the outside switch that failed. Hit the local hardware store & box store this AM & found a similar switch, that just doesn't fit in the space, hooked it up as a temp. & seems to be working fine. Thanks to all who responded. Now I'll use the link provided by rohrmann, & order the correct switch.
Thanks to all:
John